Chris Sale (2-1, 5.32 ERA) and Alfredo Simon (4-1, 3.13 ERA) take the hill in the second of a three-game series between the Chicago White Sox (9-14) and the Detroit Tigers (17-10) at U.S. Cellular Field. The White Sox won the last game 5-2 and Chicago leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 8:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May. 6 and can be seen on FSN-DET and CSN-CHI+.
Sale is 6-5 with a 2.85 ERA in his appearances against the Tigers, but goes up against a quality Detroit offense which is batting .275 this season. Jose Abreu (.270, 10 Rs, 5 HRs, 16 RBIs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run and one RBI. When pitching against the White Sox, Simon is 1-0 with an 8.31 ERA, 2.08 WHIP, and four strikeouts. Anthony Gose (.313, 10 Rs, 1 HR, 7 RBIs, 5 SBs) has been successful at the plate, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one run and one stolen base.
Chicago is a -144 favorite against Detroit and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at seven runs. The White Sox have an overall money line of -692 and a record as the favorite of 4-4. Chicago is a disappointing 1-3 as the favorite over its last 10 games.
As for their opponent, Detroit is coming in with an overall money line of +677 and an impressive record of 5-3 as the dog. They have been playing solid baseball as the underdog with a 3-2 record against AL Central opponents, and a 14-5 record SU. Offensively, the Tigers have really picked up the pace in division games. They have exceeded their season average of 4.5 runs per game by averaging 5.3 in those contests. The Tigers are tough outs for opponents, ranking third in the AL with 9.3 hits per game. The Tigers are an excellent base stealing team with 25 stolen bases, ranking fourth in the MLB. When it comes to issuing walks, the Tigers have the second-fewest in the AL with an average of just 2.4 walks allowed per game.
Despite a 6-11 record against right-handed starting pitchers, the White Sox have a 4-2 record at home versus righties, which is what they’ll be facing when Simon takes the mound. Sale (LHP) will be on the hill against the Tigers, who have a 5-2 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – DET, O/U – Under
Notes
For the fifth time this season, the White Sox registered at least two errors in a game.
The White Sox are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Tigers have a 3-1 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Tigers are 0-7. The White Sox have a 2-13 record when opponents outhit them.
Chicago ranks at the bottom of the league when it comes to home runs, hitting 12 this season. Detroit ranks in the top half at 13th with 24.
Ranking 11th, Chicago is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 8.14 per game. Detroit ranks in the top five at third with 9.35.
Ranking 26th, Chicago is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.639). Detroit ranks in the top five at fifth with an OPS of .761.
The Tigers are 5-6 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The White Sox are 4-11 when they allow at least one homer.
